Parkway offers more than traditional diner

If you are seeking breakfast or lunch in a traditional diner atmosphere, Parkway is where you have to go. After 2 p.m. the diner shuts down and Parkway’s full-service, sit-down restaurant swings into action. Most days it is a restaurant with a traditional Italian-inspired menu. On Sundays and selected evenings the seven televisions are tuned to sports events and Parkway is transformed into a sports bar.

We strolled into the packed Parkway on a football Sunday to watch the Patriots dismantle another hapless NFL opponent. We were not disappointed with the Patriots’ performance or the Parkway’s claim as a sports bar.

The highly partisan crowd around the bar and at every table cheered and jeered at nearly every play on the field while the waitresses in their Patriots jerseys deftly made their way through the maze of tables and spirited conversation carrying pitchers of beer, plates of wings and an occasional mixed drink.

As I scanned the small dining room and bar from the doorway, I saw that every table was taken, as was every bar stool. Then I saw an opening in the tight defensive formation. Two vacant chairs at an occupied corner table looked like the end zone. Weaving through the crowed room, I approached the chairs and asked if anyone was sitting there. The table’s occupants welcomed us, invited us to join them and we were soon engaged in introductions and wide-ranging conversations.

As the Patriots relentlessly marched to another touchdown, our table’s attention was drawn to the television on the wall at our backs. Perfect time for my partner and I to scan the game-day menu and select the featured 20-Cent Wings as an appetizer. Taking the advice of one of our table mates, we ordered plain wings with the dips on the side.

The wings, actually there was only one discernable wing among a plate of drumsticks, were crispy on the outside and moist and piping hot on the inside — just as you would want wings or drumsticks. There was not a hint of undercooking.

The teriyaki, Buffalo and honey dips or sauces were fairly mundane and while flavorful lacked any pizzazz or character. The Buffalo dip was mildly spicy, which was contrary to what I expected, while the teriyaki tended to be salty and bordered on gummy.

The 20-Cent Wings appetizer could have been dressed up to a 50-cent level with blue cheese dressing, celery or raw peppers. And there could be a basket or bowl provided for the chicken bones.

To extend the impression that we were at the game with about 70 like-minded Pats fans, we ordered a steak and cheese sandwich and an eggplant Parmesan sandwich. The only meal-type entrées on the menu were simple pasta dishes such as spaghetti.

The steak and cheese sandwich was just that — steak and cheese in a sub roll. To make the sandwich a little more appetizing, I asked that mushrooms, peppers and onions be sautéed and included in the sandwich and provolone cheese be substituted for American cheese.

The additions marginally helped the sandwich. The shaved steak had little flavor and the sautéed veggies added an oily undertone to the sandwich. Still the price, $6.50, was much less than what a steak and cheese sandwich would be at the ballpark.

The eggplant Parmesan sandwich ($5.50) was mediocre at best. While there was an adequate serving of breaded eggplant slices they were placed between two slices of thick, white bread that soon became soggy. The sauce was flavorless and not infused with the eggplant.

Onion rings ($2.25) and french fries ($1.75) were extras and did not come with the sandwiches.

Dinner for two with beers (we felt as if we were at the Patriots’ game after all) came to a reasonable $34.90 before tax and tip.

In all fairness to Parkway, a Sunday afternoon in October only gives a glimpse of what the restaurant and diner offers. The diner has been in operation since 1936 and the restaurant and sometime sports bar became part of the operation in 2011. The eatery’s longevity and consistency has boosted its reputation as a landmark on the Worcester foodie scene for decades. We will be returning to the Parkway Diner soon to sample its highly rated breakfast or savor one of its dinner entrées.